Thursday, October 11, 2012

Plan Check: A great American addition to Sawtelle

Sawtelle Blvd in West LA, known as Little Osaka, is lined with Japanese restaurants serving up ramen, sushi and izakaya fare, so it was indeed surprisingly when burger joint Plan Check opened up on the street. That's a bold move which proved a smart one - the place was packed on a Friday lunch-time. I think the western fare at Plan Check also attracts a different demographic to the area. For example, even though the SigO likes Japanese food, he had never ventured out to Sawtelle before, until I mentioned burgers..

It was a hot sunny Friday so we grabbed seats outside on their patio seating.

Scrimshaw pilsner and wine to start.

Pastrami fries was on the specials menu. The fries were topped with a corned beef, pickles and a mess of cheese. The presentation was a little sloppy. The corned beef was little tender chunks with a cured flavoring. The sour tangy taste of the pickles permeated all over the fries. I'm not a big pickle fan so this was not my favorite, but the SigO enjoyed it.

Sweet potato waffle fries on the other hand, was very good. I liked the sweetness of the fries, and they were crispy and served with an amazing peach ketchup.

Chef's favorite burger ~ cheese two ways, bacon two ways, ketchup leather, sunny fried egg, hot sauce
This burger had just about every possible awesome ingredient. The burger patty was juicy and nicely seasoned, the bacon was crispy and the runny egg really held everything together. I loved the addition of the parmesan cheese tuille which added a nice crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the burger.

Southern fry ~ smokey fried jidori chicken, spicy green pimento cheese, duck breast ham, pickles
This sandwich was to die for. They really piled in a lot of meat between the buns. The fried chicken had a crispy breading which was well seasoned while the meat itself was still tender I was pleased with the amount of fried chicken they layered on the bun. The large slabs of duck ham with layers of fat was a decadent addition. The burger was served with tangy relish aioli and fiery, gooey pimento cheese.

I really enjoyed lunch at Plan Check. Loved the decor, loved the outdoor seating, their menu is exciting and I was very impressed with the burgers which I thought were not only delicious but also comprised of unique combinations. You can tell that the quality of the meats were good, and their sauces are all made fresh. They definitely served up a mean fried chicken sandwich and there's a short rib roast with bone marrow turnover pie with my name on it!